The Twirling Illini

I have never been one to stick with the crowd. 

Growing up, I never wanted to be average. 

Everything I have done in my life has been in an effort to stand out. 

That’s how I’ve always been, that’s how I got to where I am, and that’s how I always will be.

Growing up in South Florida, there was never a shortage of entertainment. 

One day, when I was five years old, my parents took me to a parade in Lighthouse Point. This was a yearly event, and in each parade, there was a group of girls that were twirling batons. My mom instantly saw my fascination with the group and decided to sign me up for twirling lessons. My parents had always encouraged me to try different activities. 

I grew up playing tennis, soccer, and other sports, but I never enjoyed them. When it came to twirling, however, I immediately fell in love.

I started going to classes four to five times a week. That is a lot for most people, especially for a five-year-old, but my parents loved how much I cared about it. It was a lot of help for them as well because they both worked and I had three other siblings. Needless to say, the house was pretty hectic.

I kept working at it and going to lessons. By the time I was 6, I was competing in my first Florida State Championships. I had been working so hard and had gotten really good. This showed when I came home from the championships with the first place trophy. Being rewarded for the work I had done meant so much to me, and that feeling was the thing that kept me going. I have won that same championship every year since then.

That first win really kick-started things for me. 

Since then, I have continued to work and achieve more things than I could have ever imagined. I kept pushing myself and practicing harder and harder, and this translated to my skills. I was getting so good that I could not twirl on teams with my age group. 

By the time I was 7, I was on teams with girls that were much older than me. These girls were in high school and college, and I was competing with them at such a young age. This was a great thing for me; I was able to learn how I could stick with some of the best.

Once I got to high school, I decided to go to North Broward Preparatory School. 

It was a large and diverse place, and they allowed me the opportunity to twirl for them. I would twirl during football games, pep rallies, and in many other events. 

This was a completely different experience than twirling in competitions. In competitions, the judges do not necessarily care if you look happy, they are just looking at skill and technique. For students and fans at a high school, I had to make sure that I was smiling and looking like I was having fun.

I knew that there could be a little girl there, watching me, possibly being inspired to try out twirling herself. I took great pride in that, which is one of the reasons I knew I wanted to cheer at the collegiate level.

As my time in high school began winding down, I really had to start figuring out where I wanted to go for college. Starting my sophomore year, I began emailing band directors at different schools. I sent an email to every school I wanted to go to that had a program. I really just wanted them to see my name and see the work I was putting in. 

I wanted to show them that the effort I was putting in would be the same effort I would put in as a future twirler. 

When my senior year came around, I had narrowed my decision down to three choices: the University of Illinois, the University of Texas, and Baylor University.

The first school I was accepted into was Baylor. They accepted me very early on in the process, even before the tryouts for the other schools. They also told me I did not have to try out and I would be one of their feature twirlers. 

Since I really liked the school and was anxious about the decision I would have to make, I elected to take the position at Baylor.

I arrived on campus in the fall, and I honestly just did not feel at home. I felt very uncomfortable academically and socially. I did get some opportunities I am very thankful for, however, such as twirling on ESPN at the Big 12 championship game and the Sugar Bowl. Those are both once-in-a-lifetime things that I will cherish forever. 

Ultimately, I was unhappy there. 

After my freshman year, which was cut short by COVID, I elected to transfer.

In twirling, it is very rare for someone to transfer schools. I had built myself up as a pretty big name in the sport, so the news that I was transferring came as a shock to a lot of people. 

Though I knew it might be looked down upon, I did not let this get in my way. I applied to the University of Illinois first, and I got in right away. I also sent an email to their band director, and he said that based on my videos, I did not have to try out. 

This was huge for me. I immediately committed to the University of Illinois, and I have not looked back since.

        
Everyone takes a different path. I have always taken the road less traveled. That’s the road one has to take if they want to find success in the sport of twirling and maybe life. 

The thing about the road less traveled is that it often can not be seen by most people, even at times, by oneself. But I’ll leave with one question. What if whatever it is in life that you want could turn out better than you could imagine?… Turn out better than what you deemed possible in your mind?

Through my work and determination, I have been able to do things and go places that will forever be cherished memories in my heart. I am thankful for every opportunity this sport has given me. My parents have helped me in so many ways, and with their support through every decision I have made, I cannot wait for the next chapter of my life to start.